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A review by helen_t_reads
The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
As well as the Earth struggling with rising seas and soaring temperatures, the planet is being observed from afar by other civilizations, and they are ready to make contact.
A group of dreamers and changemakers, along with a global council of young people drafted to reimagine the relationship between humankind and alien societies are preparing for just such an event.
They have an unexpected secret weapon too: Owen, a pop megastar whose ability to connect with his adoring fans is more than charisma. His hidden talent could be the key to uniting Earth as it looks toward the stars.
But Owen’s abilities are so unique that no one can control him and so seductive that he cannot help but use them. Can he transcend his human limitations and find the freedom he has always dreamed of? Or is he doomed to become the dictator of his nightmares?
Sci Fi is not one of my favourite genres at all, so I knew I this particular WPfF title might prove a personal challenge, and it really did, for several reasons.
VR, intergalactic travel and teleportation abounds, and whilst the world building is actually quite impressive, the reading experience is marred because this title is part of a series. The reader feels they have missed a considerable amount of background information, detail and history found in the previous series titles, which explain events and the myriad cast of characters in this one.
I cannot understand why the judges would select a series title for inclusion in the Women's Prize longlist, and there was absolutely nothing of merit about the writing to mitigate such a curious decision.
A vague feeling of confusion and not quite grasping significance pertains throughout: in addition to missing detail and context, there are numerous bewildering other world alliances, and, it is sometimes hard to determine which character is actually speaking within some sections of dialogue.
The characterisation is pretty one dimensional, and there is too much - way too much - telling rather than showing.
I bravely battled on to the end, and thankfully it was a fairly short novel, but even taking into account my lack of affinity with the genre, this one was a bit of a struggle.
A group of dreamers and changemakers, along with a global council of young people drafted to reimagine the relationship between humankind and alien societies are preparing for just such an event.
They have an unexpected secret weapon too: Owen, a pop megastar whose ability to connect with his adoring fans is more than charisma. His hidden talent could be the key to uniting Earth as it looks toward the stars.
But Owen’s abilities are so unique that no one can control him and so seductive that he cannot help but use them. Can he transcend his human limitations and find the freedom he has always dreamed of? Or is he doomed to become the dictator of his nightmares?
Sci Fi is not one of my favourite genres at all, so I knew I this particular WPfF title might prove a personal challenge, and it really did, for several reasons.
VR, intergalactic travel and teleportation abounds, and whilst the world building is actually quite impressive, the reading experience is marred because this title is part of a series. The reader feels they have missed a considerable amount of background information, detail and history found in the previous series titles, which explain events and the myriad cast of characters in this one.
I cannot understand why the judges would select a series title for inclusion in the Women's Prize longlist, and there was absolutely nothing of merit about the writing to mitigate such a curious decision.
A vague feeling of confusion and not quite grasping significance pertains throughout: in addition to missing detail and context, there are numerous bewildering other world alliances, and, it is sometimes hard to determine which character is actually speaking within some sections of dialogue.
The characterisation is pretty one dimensional, and there is too much - way too much - telling rather than showing.
I bravely battled on to the end, and thankfully it was a fairly short novel, but even taking into account my lack of affinity with the genre, this one was a bit of a struggle.